Goodwood Racecourse has raised the 2026 Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes purse to a record £1.5million, making the Group 1 showpiece Europe’s most valuable mile race. The announcement came on Monday, 6 July, before the Qatar Goodwood Festival, where the Sussex Stakes will again headline the Wednesday card.
The upgrade adds another layer to a race already shaping as one of the defining Flat clashes of the summer.
Goodwood’s 2026 entries include unbeaten 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner Bow Echo, Irish 2,000 Guineas scorer Gstaad and Godolphin older horses Notable Speech and Opera Ballo, according to Thoroughbred Daily News.
Goodwood move sharpens Sussex Stakes picture
The Sussex Stakes already carries major sporting weight because it is the first elite mile test in Britain where the Classic generation can properly meet older horses at peak summer timing. Raising the prize fund to £1.5million gives Goodwood a stronger hand in keeping that clash intact.
For British racing, the figure also matters symbolically. Prize-money pressure remains a live industry issue, but Goodwood now has a mile race with the same headline purse as York’s Juddmonte International and close enough to Ascot’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes to sit firmly in the top tier of the European summer.
If Bow Echo turns up unbeaten and Godolphin send proven older talent, the extra money should only help Goodwood turn a strong entry list into a genuine championship field.
When Is Glorious Goodwood 2026?
The 2026 Glorious Goodwood Festival takes place over five days from Tuesday 28 July to Saturday 1 August at Goodwood Racecourse in West Sussex.
Widely regarded as one of the highlights of the British Flat racing season, the meeting combines world-class Group 1 racing with a unique summer social atmosphere.
Across the week, racegoers can look forward to 13 Group races, including three Group 1 contests, while many of the sport’s leading trainers, jockeys and horses are expected to be in action.
Fans can watch the biggest races from Glorious Goodwood live on ITV Racing and ITVX, with free-to-air coverage each afternoon showcasing the feature contests and several supporting races.
Every race from the meeting will also be shown live on Racing TV, providing comprehensive coverage across all five days.
Here’s a look at the headline race on each day of the festival:
- Tuesday 28 July – Goodwood Cup (Group 1): One of Britain’s premier staying races over two miles, attracting the best long-distance horses
- Wednesday 29 July – Sussex Stakes (Group 1): The meeting’s flagship race, worth £1.2 million, featuring the season’s leading milers in one of the most prestigious races of the Flat campaign
- Thursday 30 July – Nassau Stakes (Group 1): A top-class contest for fillies and mares over 1m2f, regularly attracting Classic winners from Britain, Ireland and Europe
- Friday 31 July – King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2): A blistering five-furlong sprint that brings together some of the fastest horses in training
- Saturday 1 August – Stewards’ Cup: One of Britain’s most famous and competitive heritage handicaps, run over six furlongs and traditionally providing a thrilling finale to Glorious Goodwood
